Protesters display placards as they mass in front of the Philippine Supreme Court to rally for Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in Manila, Philippines. The sign reads "Agenda of the Masses, Not Quo Warranto!" (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)Protesters display placards as they mass in front of the Philippine Supreme Court to rally for Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in Manila, Philippines. The sign reads "Agenda of the Masses, Not Quo... (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

(Newser)
–
The Philippine Supreme Court ousted its chief justice, a critic of the country's authoritarian president, in an unprecedented vote Friday by fellow magistrates that she and hundreds of protesters called unconstitutional and a threat to democracy. Court spokesman Theodore Te said eight of 14 justices voted to grant a petition by the government's solicitor-general to remove Maria Lourdes Sereno from the 15-member tribunal for allegedly failing to file statements of assets and liabilities as required by law. Sereno denies the allegation and refused to participate in the vote, the AP reports. Sereno has earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte by speaking up for the respect of law and human rights at a time he has led a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands of suspects dead.

About 1,800 protesters gathered to support Sereno outside the court in Manila. Sereno is facing a separate impeachment bid in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Duterte's allies. She has warned that the efforts by the Duterte administration to oust her are a threat to democracy, saying the petition that led to Friday's vote violates the constitution, which stipulates that top officials like her can only be removed by impeachment. "This is more than a wake-up call. If we don't wake up now, it will really be the death of democracy and sometimes history is cruel," priest and protest leader Robert Reyes said outside the court, warning that Duturte "will be a virtual dictator" if checks and balances like Sereno are removed.

Fact is: CJ Sereno was ousted by her colleagues in the Supreme Court, the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution, by a vote of 8-6. She was removed via the "quo warranto" route because she was not qualified to be a SC justice in the first place. The mistake is laid at the doorsteps of the Judicial Bar Council and Malacanan then under President Benigno Aquino III for railroading the appointment of an unqualified candidate. And not.... Because she is a constant critic of the president and the president had a hand in her ousting. Totally untrue.

julianpenrod

May 11, 2018 8:26 PM CDT

What can be called a greater threat, using the imbecile's mentality to necessarily judge what is around us! Note how so many could be moved to view this as a “white hat/black hat” situation. An ineffably decent, noble, caring individual squaring off against a foul, malignant thug in power. Basically the sentiment so many apply to the Democratic Racketeers and the Republicans. So few will see this as “two mad dogs fighting over the same bone”! Why will they not even consider Sereno as just as corrupt and craven as Duturte is described to be? Because she says she isn't! Because she blathers gratuitously insincere, “sympathetic” sentiments about the people. Because everything she says nice is printed by the “press”, but anything decent Duturte says decent the “press” will never admit, and a tenet of the imbeciles is that, if the “press” says it, it's true, and, if the “press” doesn't say it, it doesn't exist! Notice, in claiming to promote democracy, essentially, the will of the people, Sereno says that a petition, a dramatic demonstration of the feelings of the people, calling for her impeachment must be ignored because only the opinions of those in positions of power matter.

professortech

May 11, 2018 1:44 PM CDT

The only thing that would stop Trump from doing this is that it is unnecessary because he already has the majority of the court in his conservative little pocket. But no telling if he would manipulate things to get rid of some of the federal judges who are a little too constitutional for his liking